Tom Cruise is no stranger to taking big swings, whether he is hanging from a plane, racing through impossible missions, or transforming himself for a role. His latest gamble, however, takes him far away from the familiar world of blockbuster action.

Cruise has teamed up with Oscar-winning filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu for Digger, a darkly comic and apocalyptic film that has kept much of its story under wraps. The pairing alone has made the movie one of the more intriguing releases on Cruise’s calendar. Now, the wait to hear what critics actually think is over. Following early screenings, the first reactions to Digger have arrived, and they are anything but consistent.

While several critics have singled out Cruise’s performance and the film’s visual ambition, others have struggled to connect with its unusual tone, sprawling ideas, and deliberately strange approach. In other words, the film appears to be doing exactly what its title suggests: digging up plenty of strong opinions.

The film stars Cruise as Digger Rockwell, a wealthy oil tycoon who finds himself attempting to save humanity after a disaster caused by his own drilling operation threatens the world. The cast also includes Riz Ahmed, John Goodman, Sandra Hüller, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Jesse Plemons. Iñárritu, known for Birdman and The Revenant, directed the film and co-wrote the screenplay. Digger is scheduled to hit theaters and IMAX in North America on October 2, 2026, with international releases beginning September 30.

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With critics now emerging from their first encounter with Iñárritu’s strangest Cruise collaboration yet, the early verdict is proving remarkably difficult to pin down.

Even before the early reactions, Digger got heat from critics for its $20 million hostile debut, and now, the first reactions reveal a film that has landed very differently with different members of the film press. Some have embraced its ambition, Tom Cruise’s committed performance, and striking visuals, while others have called the movie baffling, unpleasant, or simply a mess.

"Digger is a mess. Tom Cruise and Alejandro G. Iñárritu are taking a massive swing here, but despite some great production design and a commitment to their big choices, not a whole lot works here. Cruise is good and Riz Ahmed is a highlight, but man this wasn’t enjoyable," said Awards Radar’s Joey Magidson.

Crtic Edward Douglas said: "I cannot say that Digger is very good, although I could tell what Iñarritu and Cruise were going for. There is a major reveal (not a twist) towards the end that almost justifies the craziness... but it will be a tough movie to review, and I expect a HORRENDOUS CinemaScore."

Summarizing the split in critic discourse over the film, Film Maven's Kristen Lopez said: "DIGGER is a very mixed bag. You’ll get what it’s saying, and the concept is interesting, but it doesn’t trust the audience enough not to hold its hand. Riz Ahmed is great. The Cruise performance is solid. Hard to do satire when the absurdity is so prominent in reality."

Meanwhile, Mike Ryan praised Cruise’s commitment but described some of the film’s plot choices as “baffling” and called the movie “generally unpleasant.” 

"Tom Cruise, as you probably expect, is *going for it* in DIGGER, which makes me want to like it. Though I find some plot choices baffling. There are very interesting moments in a meta, Cruise’s career way, but MAVERICK did them better. (It’s also kind of generally unpleasant.)," Ryan wrote.

Next Best Picture founder Matt Neglia praised Cruise’s dynamic performance and the film’s ambitious satire, but finds its zany theatrics overpower its depth, humanity and emotional impact.

"This is Tom Cruise’s most dynamic and interesting role in years, and it provides him plenty of space to preach to the back row but not enough to dig deeper and deliver a performance that could’ve had far more power and nuance had Alejandro González Iñárritu’s ambitious split narrative not been so imbalanced in favor of its zany but empty theatrics," Neglia wrote.

With reactions ranging from “a mess” to a potential career-best performance for Cruise, Digger is already proving to be one of the year’s most polarizing films—and audiences will soon get their own chance to decide where they stand.

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Are you excited for Digger? Let us know in the comments.